Weather a factor in tractor-trailer crash near Dupo

Drivers won’t have near the trouble for the Easter weekend that they did Thursday night and Friday morning.

Emergency crews responded early Friday to an accident on Interstate 255 near Dupo that involved an overturned tractor-trailer truck.

It was one of at least four crashes in the metro-east blamed on a strong wave of thunderstorms that passed through the area during the morning rush hour, Illinois State Police spokesman Calvin Dye, Jr. said.

At about 6:30 a.m, the southbound truck rolled over on the ramp between Illinois 3 and the interstate.

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“The driver was going too fast in a downpour, couldn’t make the turn and rolled the truck over on its side,” Dye said.

An ambulance and paramedics arrived to find the driver, whose identity was not released by police, already free from the truck. Dye said he suffered minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital.

A slight chance of rain remained for the afternoon hours Friday, but skies were expected to clear overnight, with temperatures dipping to 34. Saturday was expected to be clear but cooler with a high of 59. Easter Sunday will feature mostly sunny skies and a high of 64 before a slight chance of rain returns for Sunday night, when the low will reach 48.

The other storm-related crashes happened at:

• Eastbound Interstate 70 near mile marker 32.

• Northbound Interstate 55 at mile marker 3.

• Westbound Interstate 270 at Illinois 159.

Dye said details of those crashes were not immediately available. But it was believed that none of them included serious injuries.

Strong storms with heavy downpours, wind gusts in excess of 30 miles an hour and lightning moved from the area between 6:30-7:30 a.m.

The rain limited visibility for motorists and caused standing water on roadways.

“Whenever in doubt, slow down,” Dye said about the tough driving conditions. “Most accidents that happen during bad weather come from people driving to fast for conditions.”

Reports on the morning accidents were not complete, so there was no word if drivers would be ticketed.